Wine Facts and Fancies

Excellent wine generates enthusiasm. And whatever you do with enthusiasm is generally successful. - Philippe de Rothschild

 

 

Oops! If you spill red wine, immediately soak the stain with white wine.
Pour salt on the spot and rub gently. Use a sponge to take up the salt and wine.

 

 

Wine makes daily living easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance. - Benjamin Franklin

 

Wine Lovers, USA The United States is third in the total amount of wine consumed. France is first and Italy is second. The United States is only 36th in the amount of wine consumed per person. (Luxembourg is first, followed by France and Italy.) In the year 2000, Americans drank 565 million gallons of wine, or 2.01 gallons of wine per person.

 

Storing Wine. Wine bottles with cork tops must be stored on their side to prevent the corks from drying out. Wine bottles with synthetic corks may be stored upright. Once opened, wine begins to lose its taste. If you don't finish off the bottle at once, you can siave it for a few days by storing it in the refrigerator. This is true for red and white wines. Let stored red wine warm for a few minutes before drinking.

 

Savor the Aroma. Fill wine glasses no more than two-thirds full. The space at the top of the glass gives room for the wine's full aroma.

 

Taste Like a Connoisseur.
1. Look at the color and clarity of the wine in your glass.
2. Tilt the glass and look at the "edge" of the wine, where it meets the glass.
3. Swirl the wine gently to see how much "body" it has.
4. Inhale the scent of the wine.
5. Take a small sip.
6. After the first sip, swirl the wine in your mouth and notice how it feels and tastes.
7. Swallow the wine. Then notice any after-taste of the wine.
8. Pause to think about the wine's impression on your senses.

 

Beer is made by men, wine by God. - Martin Luther

 

Course by Course.
Sparkling wine is best served before dinner.
White wine is best with fish.
Red wine is best with red meat.
Sweet wines can be served with dessert - or even as dessert.

 

Just right for serving. Red wines usually are served at a cool room temperature (54°-65°F or 12°-18°C). White wine usually are served a little warmer than they would be when you first take them out of the refrigerator (41°-50°F or 5°-10°C). It's better to serve wine too cold than too warm - you can always warm a glass in your hand.

 

Common Terms.
Balance - Wine in which no one characteristic is stronger than the others.
Complex - A wine with a number of flavors and qualities - all good.
Finish - The way the wine fades or leaves your mouth when it's swallowed.
Nose - The aroma of the wine.
Palate - The way the wine feels in your mouth.
Weight - The texture and "heft" of a wine. Wines can be thick or thin, heavy or light.

 

Blush Wine. Blush or rosé wine is made from red grapes. The skins of the grapes are fermented with the juice for a short while, so the wine takes on only a bit of color. Rosé is pinkish, light, slightly sweet to sweet. White Zinfadel is pale rose in color and has a sweet taste.

 

Give me wine to wash me clean
From the weather-stains of care.
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

The above Facts & Fancies were taken from "A Celebration of Wine" set of cards printed by Compass Labs, a division of Compass Marketing, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN.